Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack vs. Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack
This week, I want to talk about two travel backpacks from Peak Design that have been quite popular within the photography community and for good reason: the 45L Travel Backpack and the 30L Travel Backpack.
If you're someone who's in the market for a new travel backpack, but you're not sure which one to choose or you’re having trouble deciding between these two backpacks, then this video is for you. In this video, I'll be breaking down the key differences as well as similarities between these two backpacks, hopefully making it easier to decide which one is right for you. Then I’ll give you my opinion on which one I like more from my own experience.
Starting off, let's chat about the 45L Travel Backpack. First things first though, one important thing to get out of the way, at least for me is, even though this is labeled as a 45L backpack, this actually is referencing the backpack at it’s most expanded state, which you can do by zipping open these side zippers right here, allowing the backpack to essentially carry more. At it’s normal state, it is a 35 L backpack. This next part is the function I find the most interesting and I actually just found this out recently. You can actually also compress the backpack down as well into a 30L backpack, which is HUGE for me personally. 45L or even 35L is just too much for an everyday bag, which I would absolutely need once I check into my airbnb or hotel and unload my stuff when traveling.
Going into the actual contents of the backpack, this backpack is a beast, like literally. It's designed to hold all your travel essentials, including your clothes, toiletries, camera gear, and even a laptop. With multiple pockets in the front, you can carry a lot items you might need quick access to or seperate items easily that you might not want in the main pocket. Whatever the reason is, it’s always nice to have options. Getting into the main interior of the backpack, it’s empty with a bunch of inner pockets, allowing you to once again seperate your contents even more. Since the backpack is empty, you might be wonderingu how you could organize your stuff. Peak Design has built this backpack to work in tandem with their “bag organizers”, which consists of their packing cubes, camera cubes, etc. That’s not really on topic with this video, so I won’t go into much detail about those items. However, I do have them and I would totally recommend them as they make life way easier. If you would like a review of them, let me know in the comments below!
The 45L backpack is a tank as well. Moving from location to location, I never once felt like the backpack was going to give in and tear and that’s saying someone as the backpack was quite heavy at around 19 kg, which I would never ever recommend anyone to do. But that just proved to me how strong and durable the backpack is. It is also water proof, as some of you may know if you have ever owned a Peak Design bag. Their zipper technology is pretty outstanding. I’ve never had water leak through their zippers on any of my Peak Design bags and the same goes for the 45 L travel backpack, which I found out real quick when I had to quickly test that out when I first got to Seoul, South Korea for a trip and it was pouring on my way to my airbnb.
Lastly, the 45L backpack is carry on approved so you won’t have to worry about having to check your backpack in at the airport. I’ve taken it through through a flight from LA to Canada, from Canada to South Korea, from South Korea to Japan, and Japan back to LA, and none of them had any problems with my backpack size. And that was with my backpack being filled to the brim.
Now, let's take a look at the 30L Travel Backpack. This backpack has a more modest capacity which makes it a great option for those who prefer to travel light. This backpack has the same compression and expansion ability that the 45L has. The only difference is the amount of compression and expansion. At it’s most compressed state, it can carry 27L. At it’s most expanded state, it can carry 33L. So it has the function, but it isn’t as drastic of a change as the 45L. Despite this, the 30L Travel Backpack is still a great option for a travel backpack.
It has the same customizable interior just like the 45L Travel Backpack, so you can configure it to fit your specific gear with the help of the “bag organizers” from Peak Design. Additionally, it has a sleeve for a laptop or tablet. And like the 45L Travel Backpack, it's made from durable materials that can handle the wear and tear of travel as well as the unexpected moments from mother nature.
So, which backpack is right for you? Well, it ultimately depends on your specific travel needs. If you're someone who likes to bring a lot of gear on your trips, and you need a backpack that can handle it all, then the 45L Travel Backpack is the way to go.
On the other hand, if you're someone who prefers to travel light and only bring the essentials, then the 30L Travel Backpack is a great option. It's smaller and lighter, making it easier to carry around, and it still has all the features you need for a successful trip.
That’s essentially the main difference. There are a couple of functional differences such as the 45L having this big outer pocket while the 30L does not. Also the 45L has bigger side pockets to fit your tripod, gimbal, or big water bottle. The 30L can also fit tripods and such, but because the pockets are smaller, certain ones probably won’t fit such as my tripod. Another deal breaker one might find is the missing of the hip belt on the 30L. Definitely go with the 45L if having a hip belt on your backpack is important.
The 45L Travel Backpack can hold a lot more gear than the 30L Travel Backpack. However, remember that it's also a lot bulkier and heavier, which can make it harder to carry around for extended periods of time. The 30L Travel Backpack, on the other hand, is much more compact and lightweight, making it a great option for quick and easy travel. The limited space also forces you to really think about the gear you actually would need to bring instead of overpacking which I know is a big problem, especially for me.
From my time with both of these backpacks, they were comfortable and easy to wear, with padded straps and adjustable harnesses. The handles on the side as well as the suitcase handle on the back were very useful when needing to quickly move them when I was on the train or when lifting the backpacks into the overhead bin on an airplane. The only time it got unbearable uncomfortable is when I overpacked my 45L backpack, which for me, really only happened with the 45L backpack and was totally my fault.
Personally, for me, I do plan on selling one of these backpacks. As mentioned in my Nomadic Travel video, I had purchased a carry on suitcase as I had learned my lesson with carrying 2 backpacks when traveling around. It was a lot of weight on my back and I felt a carry on suitcase would be more suitable and comfortable for me along side one of the travel backpacks. I had actually been leaning towards keeping the 30L as that’s the backpack I found most versatile, being able to go from an everyday backpack carrying around my gear to travel backpack when moving from country to country or city to city. But finding out that the 45L can compress into a 30L backpack is definitely something that has me leaning towards keeping the 45L. It’s the backpack that’s actually the most versatile with being able to essentially go from a 30L backpack to a 35L to a 45L. The downsize for me though is even if the volume changes, the actual length of the backpack doesn’t so even at 30L, it’s still the same as the 45L. And that’s where the 30L comes in. The size is perfect in my opinion, so if I can fit everything into the 30L, I have no problems with keeping it and selling the 45L.
Ultimately, both of these backpacks are fantastic choices, and you really can't go wrong with either one. It all comes down to your personal preferences and needs. So think about what kind of trips you'll be taking, how much gear you typically carry, and what features are most important to you, and then make your decision.